{"id":7558,"date":"2023-08-22T13:50:59","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T17:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalfairhousing.org\/?p=7558"},"modified":"2023-08-22T21:40:52","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T01:40:52","slug":"unified-privacy-civil-rights-and-consumer-protection-strategy-needed-worldwide-new-paper-argues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalfairhousing.org\/unified-privacy-civil-rights-and-consumer-protection-strategy-needed-worldwide-new-paper-argues\/","title":{"rendered":"Unified Privacy, Civil Rights and Consumer Protection Strategy Needed Worldwide, New Paper Argues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2023
Contacts: Izzy Woodruff | iwoodruff@nationalfairhousing.org<\/a>; Rosita Vivanco | rosita@techequitycollaborative.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unified Privacy, Civil Rights and Consumer Protection<\/strong> Strategy Needed Worldwide, New Paper Argues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington, D.C.<\/strong> \u2014<\/strong> The world needs a unified and coherent strategy that incorporates privacy, civil rights and consumer protections into digital products and services as AI becomes ubiquitous, according to a new paper<\/a><\/strong> authored by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and TechEquity Collaborative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing this strategy has been challenging to date because of one central tension: a privacy advocacy position arguing minimization of individual consumer data collected is the best practice versus a historic civil rights approach where certain personal data should be collected to test data products and services for discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur research explores this tension and makes the case that the right to privacy and the ability to collect information to ensure data products and services are not discriminatory can work together by first adopting a baseline data minimization framework that requires a legitimate business case for the data collection,\u201d said Dr. Michael Akinwumi, NFHA\u2019s Chief Tech Equity Officer<\/strong>. \u201cThis tension is difficult to balance in the United States due to lack of a federal privacy legislation and is even more so palatable in the European Union where existing legislation such as GDPR and the AI Accountability Act coexist. It is crucial that companies who have received consent to collect sensitive information for anti-discrimination testing apply Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) to secure the collected information in tandem with a data minimization framework.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe current model of privacy law gives much responsibility and very little power to the individual. Individual people, who have no insight into the algorithms making decisions about them, are the ones that are required to investigate and redress harm done to them,\u201d said Samantha Gordon, Chief Program Officer at TechEquity Collaborative<\/strong>. \u201cWe need to shift the onus of protecting privacy and preventing discrimination to companies and regulators\u2014those with the greatest power and responsibility to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The paper, \u201cPrivacy, Technology, and Fair Housing \u2013 A Case for Corporate and Regulatory Action\u201d was released Tuesday. The organizations have also planned a virtual panel discussion for September 14, 2023, which will include several fair housing, technology, and privacy experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The paper outlines three recommendations necessary to ensure that the balance of privacy and civil rights is appropriately applied to reduce harm and ensure housing access for all:<\/p>\n\n\n\n